Saudi Arabia sees growing market for concierge lifestyle managers

Saudi Arabia’s influx of senior executives and wealthy expatriates is driving growth in so-called concierge and lifestyle management services.

Less familiar in the West, concierge services are a popular luxury in the Gulf, easing the transition for new arrivals and helping them through anything from bureaucratic processes to finding a new home or transporting a pet.

“We brought people from our offices around the world working with young, brilliant, talented Saudis so that the service that you can expect when you arrive is really ticked off,” Sir Ben Elliot, founder of global luxury concierge firm Quintessentially, told Arab News during the TOURISE summit in Riyadh. 

Elliot said the company is trying to accommodate customers in the ‘”avalanche of people” relocating to Saudi Arabia.

Oman to impose personal income tax on its high earners by 2028

Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik has approved a personal income tax law to be implemented on individuals earning more than $110,000 annually.

The measure, which will be imposed starting in 2028, positions Oman as the first Gulf state to levy personal income tax, part of broader efforts to diversify revenue away from oil.

An earlier draft proposing separate thresholds for Omanis and expatriates was rejected by the Sultan.

With 2.7 million workers – 1.8 million expatriates – the reform is projected to raise over $285 million annually.